Review - Tiny Prints

(Important, Special Note: This is a sponsored post, though the opinions stated herein are all mine mine mine nannynannybooboo. I try not to do too many of these, given that you're here for. . . actually, I have no idea why you're here, though I'm eternally grateful for it. Anywhoodle, Mama does these because she needs the more-than-occasional handbag. Thank you for understanding.)

It has been alleged that I have something of a Pretty Paper problem. A penchant for buying paper & then inventing occasions for which to send it - "sitting around admiring lovely stationery" being one such occasion.

 Pretty Paper multitasking - thank you note *and* roots concealer. 

Ahem.

In any event, when the kind folks at Tiny Prints contacted me about doing a review, this paper geek was only too happy to play along. As it happens, I'm a long-time Tiny Prints customer; I get my highfalutin', engraved notes elsewhere, but Tiny Prints is just the place for things like shower invitations and birth announcements. Besides, with a certain toddler's (!) first birthday party in our recent rear view mirror, We - yes, the Royal We comes out when we have Pretty Paper to play with - have more than a few thank you notes to pen.

Mildly important side note: manners mavens are in conflict about the appropriateness of thank you notes "from" wee ones too young to write said notes themselves; some find them too cutesy to be borne. In this rare case, I'm on Team Cute - my paper compulsion outweighs my need to be Icily Cynical. Plus, how is Master P to thank the Harvard-Oxford-Cambridge early admissions programs without his own thank you notes?

That being settled, it was love at first ship when I spied these notes on Tiny Prints' easily navigable (HA, see what I did there?!?) website:

Photo Credit: Tiny Prints

The ordering process was a breeze and lo, some 2 days later, a Pretty little box arrived containing just the most darling notes in all the land - and the high seas:

I mean, what pirate doesn't need personalized notes?

The paper quality, note size, and design were excellent and exactly as advertised, both of which I've found to be a problem with some other online stationers.

To sum up, I continue to be one satisfied pirate mama - coincidentally,"Pirate Mamas" will be the name of my next band - with the Tiny Prints stationery site & selection for informal invites, announcements, and notes.

Featured Blogger Friday: "Preppy Princess"

It is with such happiness that I bring you today one of the very first bloggers I began reading & one of my all-time favorite reads, The Preppy Princess.

Preps & non-preps alike, stay with me here:  although she does focus largely on conservative fashions, TP's bone-dry wit and coverage of the fashion industry overall offers something for everyone - at least, those of us with taste & a sense of humor.

As you can see here & featured below, her online store has a number of goodies for us to enjoy as well.  Before you go calling the paparazzi and suspecting me of product pushing, let me assure you;  like the Hair Club for Men, I'm merely a customer and - well - not the President, but a reader too.  A reader with hair, that is.

Without further ado, let's get to it: 

Why she started a blog: Initially we started the Princess blog to complement our online store The Preppy Princess, thinking it would be a “nice little adjunct to the shop.” I must have been off my meds that day, thinking it would be ‘little’ in terms of the time required on a daily basis.

 

I have always been possessed of the capacity to substantially underestimate the amount of work involved in almost any endeavor. This talent was generally saved for those occasions when I needed to explain (demand, beg, order, demand, etc.) an idea to other people.  Full disclosure: usually these were people reporting to me in some capacity, so if all else failed, we had ‘other means’ to get them on board. But how I managed to underestimate the amount of time involved in bloggage is beyond me.  

 

Her blogging inspirations: Usually the news of the day is all it takes. A logo here, a mini-skirt there, a new take on ‘preppy style,’ and we’re all over it.  Then it’s funneled down into fashion & style items, further winnowed to those tidbits related to preps, additionally culled to morsels we think readers might not otherwise see.

 

I take it entirely too seriously, and the years of print & broadcast journalism almost hurt more than they help because I still feel like I have to answer the 5 W’s: who, what, when, where, why. And of course, despite it being rather vulgar, I add the H: how much?

 

I also allow my competitive background in news to rear its ugly head occasionally if TSU (The Spousal Unit) isn’t around to set me straight. I mean, who cares if I am the first to post what one of the Gossip Tykes wore last night? Or that Brooks Brothers is introducing a new color of men’s boxers, and they’re even available in madras?!  I’m told there is a Twelve Step program to help with this malady but have yet to make it to a meeting.  (Pretty Note:  Her fashion scoops are one of my favorite things about her blog.)

 

New merchandise in the shop is another inspiration as well. While we do not want to be completely crass and commercial, there are times we just can’t seem to help ourselves. New Lilly Pulitzer items always make us weak in the knees, like our upcoming Fall/Holiday 2009 collection:

Or our Grosgrain ribbon flip-flops and belts:

 

Outside of blogging, some of her favorite hobbies:  Truth be told, I am really incredibly boring.  My favorite activity is spending time alone with The Consort (aka TSU, aka my best friend and wonderful one) and our four-legged kids: Silly Tilly and Scooter-the-Wonder- Cat.

(Pretty Note:  The gorgeous Tilly is a rescue dog, a cause dear to my heart & indicative of TP's general state of fabulousness.)

(Pretty Note:  Did you know that I'm also a Cat Lady? My nerdlitude knows few bounds.)

I spend a fair amount of time engaged in volunteer work and am also a ferocious reader.

 

Her future goals, in real life and/or for writing:  It is easiest to speak of public aspirations for the next five to ten years: most involve growing the Princess.  Having our business affords the flexibility to volunteer time and skills to communities we feel compelled to serve. Ultimately we hope to be successful enough to create a foundation, a proper 501(c)3 entity engaged in donating assets to select charitable organizations.

Oh, and we also want to be comfortable enough to build our own ice rink on the property so I can skate year round.  (Pretty Note:  Who doesn't??)

 

Before clicking over to her blog, what she would want a reader to know about her:  That there really aren’t forty pink flamingo topiaries on our estate, as described in this post. 

 

Nor do we have a ‘head gardener,’ or full-time staff.  Hopefully readers understand the more outrageous statements in the blog are tongue-in-cheek. There are no minions here at the Prepatorium, nor are they required to raise the drawbridge over the moat, as we don’t have one of those either.  If this lack of accoutrements is disappointing to readers, we apologize, but after all, we are in a recession. (Heh-heh-heh.)

 

The other thing we would like people to know how much we appreciate them visiting the blog, how valued their comments are, how we wish we could add a 25^th hour to the day just to flit about leaving more comments on all those blogs we love to read. 

Special Reader Discount:  In a hugely generous and unsolicited move, TP is offering Pretty readers a 20% discount in her "Preppy Belts" section through June 18th.  Use the discount code PRETTYDEAL anytime through June 18th on any of the goodies listed here.  

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Darlings, you can follow TP's blog here and her Tweets here.  See you over in her comments section!

Note:  If you are interested in being a Feature Friday blogger, please review my spiffy guidelines here and leave me a comment including your email address.  Thanks.

Intro to Lilly 101

Back in the hinterlands of Southern California, I heard rumor of this label known as Lilly. My species will flaunt their plastic surgery without batting an (false) eyelash, but are generally not spotten in the wild wearing tasteful shifts. Nonetheless, I glimpsed the occasional Lilly, always worn by someone from That Other Coast, usually at a Junior League function. My interest was piqued, but it seemed like a birthright to those from the South & Southeast - much like the NYC girls have the market on the latest designer handbag or the LA girls do on the trendiest jean or facial filler.

Fast forward a bit, and I find myself in Central Texas where, believe it or not, the prep-per-capita ratio skyrockets. I begin my retail research in earnest, tentative about the bright Lilly colors and vibrant patterns, but wild about the very Jackie a-line cuts and the prospect of chic yet heat-friendly attire.

So when I receive the recent In the Pink sale code (which I'm sure you all have, but just in case - enter 0812 for 40% off the summer season, sale ends 08/14) , I decide to begin investing* in the best way - with a ginormous sale. No searingly bright colors or electric patterns just yet, but here's what is en route to Pretty HQ after months of intensive research and admiration:

*Important, Special Note to Anonymous Husband: Yes, you can invest in certain clothes and accessories - they yield dividends of happiness! Your yet-to-be-conceived daughter will thank you someday! Exclamation point!!

(love the flattering sweetheart neckline & subtle pattern. Patience, darlings - I may get to the bright stuff yet!)

And as part of my Weekend Economic Stimulus Package, I'm investigating the fall season (my favorite so far) in person, particularly:

(hooray for boatnecks & their mysterious slimming properties. I don't question, I just purchase.)

(*Important note to Californians / other non-preps here: This one pushes my prep boundaries, so I see this as a shirt for work, where prep overcomes competence. Fear not, pets - I haven't started putting pennies back in my loafers yet or anything.)

(but in "True Navy Horse of Course"; love the DVF-esque lines on this)

Pretty Picks, aka One Fun Part of Moving

Having moved residences 13 times over the past 13 years (!), I have spent many hours contemplating/ forcing myself to contemplate the upside of moving. The excuse to buy new personalized stationery for the new address is surely chief amonsgt them - or at least to me , a lifelong paper dweeb. Confession: I'm the girl who rushes to the mailbox every day, just convinced that I'm going to be receiving some exquisite thank you note or invitation - and looking for any excuse to send the same.

Now that I've confessed, looky at the Crane & Co. moving announcements I've already ordered & sent (but in seafoam blue ink & font) - just gorgeous in person:



Here are some fun ones I'm considering for my own personal correspondence, all Boatman Geller (which I've never ordered, but am loving the look of):

(v. Tory Burch, don't you think?)

(these make me irrationally happy - sometimes you need your prep with a spoonful of snark, no?)

(so pink, so green, so Pucci)

Here's another brand, Whitney English, that I have yet to try but keep admiring here on the Interwebs:

(like the teal, green, chocolate combo, perhaps with a less cutesyf font)

(more wee pink skulls! Obvs. not for sending to Aunt Myrtle, and I fear this toes the Avril Lavigne line, but so fun and irreverent for the right recipient)

And for the wonderful Anonymous Husband, who despite aforementioned wonderfulness still sends personal thank you notes on business stationery - although at least he's sending them - I thought about ordering this:

Any votes out there for the winner?

Pretty, Preppy Picks

Dear friends of the Anonymous Husband & mine just sent us the most lovely housewarming gift - a personalized stamp from Three Designing Women! My inner prep loves the personalization. I can't find the exact idea on the official website, but they have some fun examples on there:

[credit: www.threedesigningwomen.com]

What a nice surprise on this bleary, albeit wonderfully no-longer-hot, afternoon.

Pretty, Preppy Picks, aka, Why You Should Be My Friend Instead of Paris’, Part Deux

Behold my impeccable taste in fetching, overpriced clothes!

Dear Saks, pretty please with a cherry on top put this fabulous dress on sale. It’s even called the “croquet dress”, and although I can’t tell a wicket from a windshield wiper, croquet gets my preppy seal of faux-sporting approval. Also, the waistline is like totally flattering for Miss Hips here. Therefore, I should own this dress. The End.

Loveyoumeanitlater,

Legallyblondemel